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Recycled water key to supply security

Julian Drape

Recycling is the key to Australia meeting its future water needs, according to a survey of more than 1000 people who work with the increasingly valuable resource.

Governments need to lift their game if the country is to secure reliable supplies in the coming decades, the State of the Water Sector 2010-15 survey, released on Wednesday, suggests.

Less than 30 per cent of the water sector feels sustainability is being well managed, while only 43 per cent believe water scarcity is being handled properly.

Some 55 per cent feel water security is being addressed well.

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Overwhelmingly, those who responded to the survey - conducted by the Australian Water Association (AWA) and consultancy firm Deloitte - said recycling was the way forward.

Some 37 per cent said recycling, including the use of stormwater, was the most important thing that could be done to help Australia meet its future water needs.

The next biggest responses were "raise the price of water to reflect its scarcity" and "curb demand through education". Each answer was nominated by 12 per cent of respondents.

On the recycling front, the survey found a quarter of people thought community resistance was the main barrier to increased recycling.

A similar number thought politics was too blame while a further 21 per cent cited cost.

AWA chief executive Tom Mollenkopf said the survey found clear support for adding recycled water into water supplies and using stormwater as a source of supply.

"Recycled drinking water is an effective solution to Australia's water demands and the water sector strongly supports this supply option," he said in a statement.

"The sector has an important role in educating communities and building confidence about recycled water."

Current water trading arrangements - a hot topic with the federal government considering buying back up to 4000 gigalitres a year for the Murray-Darling Basin - didn't receive a ringing endorsement from the sector.

Some 42 per cent of respondents said water markets weren't functioning well in their state or territory.

Just 27 per cent of people said they were working while 31 per cent couldn't say. But the future is brighter.

Of those surveyed, 59 per cent think a fully functioning market would reduce over-allocation over time. Only 33 per cent disagreed.

Further, 72 per cent think a fully-functioning market will improve the efficiency of water use.